


Our Little Secret

by 4theluvofall



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Reader Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 18:22:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12415479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4theluvofall/pseuds/4theluvofall
Summary: Reader is a really good friend to Steve at all hours of the day. But when something happens to her, he can’t be there for her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This can be read as a stand alone, though the rest of the series follows the reader's relationship with Bucky.

Your phone buzzed with an incoming alert. You rubbed your eyes and quickly glanced at your clock -  _ 2am _ \- right on schedule. 

You debated on even checking but you knew who it was and you knew what he wanted.

Sighing heavily, you rolled over and and grabbed your phone.

_ You still awake? _

Quickly answering  _ yeah… what’s up? _

_ Wanna meet for coffee? _

_ Sure. _ Your thumb hovered over the send button for a brief moment before hitting send. You knew you would go. You always did.

You changed out of your pajamas and grabbed a sweater because you knew you’d be cold.

Hurrying to the elevator you silently berated yourself for going again, at the same time convincing yourself that he must need you - why else would he want to see you every night?

Opening the door to the rooftop patio, you saw him sitting there, laying on the wicker sofa, one arm behind his head, the other, thrown over his eyes.

You paused for a moment, watching him when he spoke, “You know, I can hear you standing there, right? Super soldier hearing and all that.”

You rolled your eyes. “Can you hear me rolling my eyes, Steve? Cuz they are.  _ Hard _ .” You plopped down next to him, “Move your super solider feet.”

He pulled his feet up then dropped them onto your lap the moment you sat down. He handed you your coffee.

You hummed after your first sip. “Thank you.”

“You know, if you drank less coffee, you’d probably sleep more.” He sat up, looking sternly at you.

You bit your lip and gave a chuckle, “Oh Steve, coffee isn’t what keeps me up at night.”

He cocked a brow, waiting for you to continue but you kept drinking your coffee, nervously fidgeting with the cardboard sleeve.

He laughed at you, “If you’re waiting for me to give you permission to have a cigarette, it’s not gonna happen.”

You smiled at him, “I know that, I’m waiting for you to ask me for one…”

He smirked, “You know I won’t.”

You pulled out a cigarette and placed it in between his lips. “No, you won’t. It’s your dirty little secret.” You winked, flicking your lighter, lighting his cigarette. You watched him inhale deeply and slowly exhale. 

Needed to distract yourself, you lit your own cigarette and leaned back on the sofa.

He chuckled dryly, “Who would believe that Captain America smoked? C’mon Y/N, no one would believe you.”

“It’s okay,  _ Cap _ , I wouldn’t tell anyway.”

You sat there for a moment, and then, “I met someone.”

Your heart stopped. You swallowed then replied, “That’s great. Tell me about her.”

He smiled, “She’s great. Met at the coffee shop of all places. She’s got a little boy though so she wants to take it slow.”

You smiled tightly at him, “That makes sense.”

He told you all about her.

Your heart broke. You figured he’d hear it with that super solider hearing but he was oblivious.

***

For the next two weeks, she was all you heard about. How he had to buy a car seat to put in his car because they were taking her son to the zoo. How she insisted on paying for dinner even though he was Captain America. How cute her house was. How she was a fantastic cook.

You wanted to scream. Instead, you just smiled and listened. Every night, you couldn’t sleep, waiting for his text and every night, he texted around 2am to meet. Every night, you listened to him go on and on about his new girlfriend. You’d return to bed shaking - too upset from Steve, too much coffee and cigarettes making you nauseous so you’d be up the rest of the night.

Your days were starting to become affected by your lack of sleep. Training wasn’t going so well and when Sam actually punched you in the face, you knew something had to give.

“Y/N! Oh my God!” Sam had been expecting you to duck but your reflexes were too slow.

You tried to blink back tears but it hurt so badly and you were so tired. You just fell onto the training mat.

Steve had witnessed the whole event but he didn’t come to see if you were okay. He watched Sam scoop you up and carry you of the gym from afar.

That night, he didn’t text you. 

You weren’t sure what hurt more, your broken nose or your broken heart.

The next night, you turned off your phone.

After that, you avoided him as much as possible. It was fairly easy to do as he spent most of his days training and you weren’t allowed much physical activity. The rest was a welcome break and you found yourself catching up on reading and writing. 

Shared mealtimes were awkward so you began to avoid those too, choosing to eat earlier and alone.

Though everyone noticed you were less social than usual, no one really noticed the reason why. Except Sam.

At first, he noticed that whenever he’d bring up Steve to you, you’d shut down. You’d become more nervous than usual, tapping your fingers, playing with your hair, or biting your nails. Often, you’d just up and leave, going to have a cigarette alone. He also noticed that you’d be fine with the others, but whenever Steve would enter a room, you’d find an excuse to leave. Nothing obvious but it happened often enough for Sam to notice.

He also realized that whenever he brought you up to Steve, he seemed colder. One day, Sam asked him how you were doing.

“I don’t know?” Steve offered, in between jabs on the punching bag.

“What do you mean  _ you don’t know _ ? Have you not seen her since her accident?”

Steve shook his head.

Sam stopped his workout. “Shit. Steve… it’s you.” He ran his hand over his face.

Steve cocked a brow and continued his workout.

Sam grabbed him by the shoulders, turning him around. “I knew something was bothering Y/N well before I accidently broke her nose. She wasn’t getting any sleep and she was a constant bundle of nerves. That’s why she didn’t duck. Her reflexes were too slow. Just...thank God it happened here and not on the field.”

Steve stopped moving, breathing heavily. “What do you mean it’s me?”

Sam shook his head, “You’re my best friend, but you’re an asshole.” He walked away but turned around before he left, “You broke her heart.”

***

After a solid two weeks of sleeping like a normal person, you ventured to the training room for some cardio. You needed to move around so you figured you’d walk on the treadmill.

You were the only one there and you were thankful for it. Your nose was better but your face was still bruised and swollen and you were embarrassed about what had happened.

About halfway through your workout, you sensed someone come in. You didn’t bother to check who it was, you were enjoying yourself too much. Suddenly, he was in front of you, frowning.

You stopped the machine and looked up at him.

“Y/N, I thought the doctor said no exercising,” he lectured.

“How would you know?” you snapped.

Steve physically recoiled.

“You know, I thought we were friends. You didn’t once come to see how I was feeling. Not a single phone call or even text. Did you suddenly forget my number?”

“I was going through some stuff of my own,” he started explaining himself but you cut him off.

“Save it, Rogers,” you retorted. “You know, I was fine being your friend. Even though I wanted more, I was fine. But I realized, we weren’t even friends…” 

You hopped off the treadmill and walked away from him. He called out to you but you shook your head, “You’re not worth it.” Walking through the door, you left him behind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After your friendship with Steve ends, you’re sent on an undercover mission with Bucky.

You had two days to prepare for your next mission. You asked - almost  begged - Director Fury to send you on the longest mission he had coming up and thankfully, he obliged. The bruising around your face worked with your cover and you were almost grateful to Sam for breaking your nose.

Fury was sending you to Europe with Bucky as your partner and you weren’t altogether thrilled about the pairing. You had nothing against Bucky personally, he was pretty quiet and mostly kept to himself, though the few times he broke out of his shell you found him to be funny and sarcastic but also deep, but... he was Steve’s best friend. You were worried it was going to be awkward. Especially since your cover was that of a rich heiress and he was supposed to be your newest boy toy. The broken nose was easily explained as a healing nose job and Bucky’s role would explain why he was always in close contact proximity to you but you weren’t sure you could pull it off.

Some rich family was dealing in arms and you were to infiltrate them via their younger son to try to gain intel since Fury wasn’t sure if it was low level arms dealers or something bigger. You were estimated to be there for a month which normally you’d consider too long for a single mission. This time, you were ecstatic to be out of the tower for a whole month. In fact, you wished the mission was longer.

Only a few people knew the actual details of your mission, Sam being one of them. He kept you company as you shopped for higher end clothing and accessories; you needed to look the part if you wanted to be successful.

“You ready for this?” he asked over lunch.

You nodded, “I think it’ll be good. Give me a chance to clear my head. Maybe move on from things.”

“You gonna be okay with Barnes?” he watched you carefully.

Smiling at him, you answered easily, “Yeah. I like Bucky. He seems nice enough. Shame his best friend is such a fucking dick.” Realizing who you were talking to, your eyes widened, “Shit! Sorry Sam.” You let out a long sigh. “I keep trying not to put you in the middle of this. Ugh.”

He held up his hand to stop you, “It’s fine. I agree with you though; in this case, Steve is - was - a complete dick. I appreciate you not wanting me to take sides here, but... you’re in the right. One hundred per cent.”

You gave him a tight smile, “I think some space from you would be good, too. Give you a well needed break from me.”

“Ah, Y/N, I could never need a break from you,” he countered, paying for lunch. “What’s on the agenda for the rest of the day?”

“Grooming,” you grimaced.

“Hair, nails…?”

You nodded, “And waxing,” you added.

Sam laughed at you, “Damn, they’re really making you jump through hoops here.”

“Gotta make it believable,” was your reply. “Can’t have all this money and have unsightly hair! Goodness Samuel, really!” you tried to take on an uppity tone but failed, bursting into giggles.

 

You returned home and FRIDAY immediately relayed a message from Bucky requesting you to go to his room so you could go over a few things before you left.

His room looked like yours, filled with shopping bags and luggage.

“Hey, Y/N”, he smiled shyly. “You look really pretty.”

You smiled back, taking a seat on a vacant chair. Flipping your hair over your shoulder in a dramatic way, you replied, “Thank you. Gotta look a certain way.” You gave him an over the top wink and you noticed that he had cut his hair a bit too to make it look more stylish. “You were, ah, groomed too?” you cocked a brow.

He laughed, embarrassed. “Yeah.” He leaned in, “They even waxed my chest!” he whispered conspiratorially.

You giggled, “Bucky, I won’t even  _ tell _ you what I had to wax!” He blushed. “I’m assuming we’ll be spending a lot of time in bathing suits, lounging and being utterly indulged?”

He nodded, “Yeah. A lot of wining and dining and schmoozing. That’s why I called you in. I figure some of our fancier outfits should match...for when we actually go out?”

You agreed with him, “Most of the stuff I bought is neutral in colour, blushes, blue, and black so we should be fine. Thanks for thinking of that. It didn’t even cross my mind.”

“You ah, have had a lot on your mind lately…” he trailed off. “How’s the nose?”

You touched it, gently. “Better, thanks. We were able to reset it but when it heals, I’ll have a bump.”

There was an awkward pause. Bucky spoke first.

“Y/N, are you gonna be okay with me coming on this mission? With everything that happened?”

You looked straight at him, “Bucky, you’re you and he’s him. I’m more than fine going on this mission with you. Besides,” you stood up to leave, “It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better.”

He nodded, “Okay but.... Okay.” 

You smiled, motioning to his stuff strewn across his room, “Better finish packing,”

***

Your flight was a private jet out of JFK so you needed to be in role from the moment you stepped out of the limo. Your alias was Angelina, nickname Angie, and Bucky’s was Brad. You knew it would cause people to take pause but you were hoping that it would be a conversation starter.

You weren’t sure how much to lay it on with the crew so you feigned a headache and pretended to take a nap. Bucky joined you in the plane’s bedroom and by whispering, the two of you were able to chat a bit without anyone hearing anything. Thanks to his sensitive hearing, he could hear if anyone would be approaching the door to the room so you were able to pretend to rest. 

Two hours into your flight you felt yourself getting tired. You tried to stifle a yawn but Bucky caught it.

“Close your eyes,” he suggested. “It’ll be fine.”

“I feel bad sleeping while you’re awake,” you replied.

He chuckled drily, “I don’t get much sleep anyway. Don’t worry.”

You got under the covers of the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

You awoke to someone shaking you, “Angie, sweetheart, wake up.”

Your eyes flew open, “Have we arrived?”

Bucky nodded, “Yes, darling. We’re here. The crew are unloading as we speak.”

You stood and stretched, “I suppose I was more tired that I thought.” Sighing, you rummaged in your purse for a mint, “I’d love to brush my teeth right now but this’ll have to suffice.”

Bucky stood there waiting for you and you stopped, confused. It took you a moment to realize he was waiting to hold your hand. You grabbed his hand and he pulled you to him, quietly whispering, “Sorry, I figured this would be necessary,” he brushed a kiss to your hair.

You smiled and nodded. He was right, you two would have to be convincing of your relationship, especially when in public.

The air was sweltering and you were grateful for the air conditioning of the limo. Leaning into the seat, you made sure the driver knew where he was taking you. 

Bucky put his arm around you and you snuggled into him, “Do you think we can stay in tonight?” you asked, speaking loud enough for the driver to hear you.

He winked at you, “Of course, darling.” 

***

The first thing you did when you arrived at the villa was a walk through. Bucky did a perimeter check and you swept the inside for bugs. Upon finding everything clean, you began to unpack your things. The walkin closet was bigger than any room you’ve ever lived in. In the middle of it, sat a vanity complete with perfect lighting.

You were sitting at the vanity arranging your cosmetics when Bucky walked in with his luggage.

“Can I live here forever?” you asked, jokingly.

He looked over your collection of cosmetics and let out a whistle. “When did you buy all this?”

“This is all mine,” you laughed at him.

He raised his brows, “What is all of it?”

“Makeup. This,” you commented, pointing at your face, “Does not come easily.”

“But... don’t you have to take it all off?” he asked.

You pointed to another pile of items, “That’s what these are for.”

He looked dumbfounded, “Oh boy. That’s a lot of effort.”

You both unpacked in comfortable silence until you spoke.

“Bucky? The staff will be starting tomorrow… we should discuss the sleeping arrangements.”

He peered into the master bedroom, “Well, it’s a king sized bed. I think we’ll be fine.”

“I agree. Thanks for not making this weird.”

He laughed at you, “See, you just saying that, made it weird.”

You felt your face heat up, “Hush you. What do you wanna do now?”

Since it was early afternoon, Bucky suggested having something small to eat and then doing some exploring of the adjacent beach, in an attempt to catch the attention of the rich locals.

You both changed into appropriate beach wear (you had packed an outfit for everything and Bucky wore board shorts with a long sleeve UV protected surf shirt), you walked onto the rocky beach. While Bucky wandered aimlessly, you approached the ocean’s edge. You loved the water and started taking off your shoes to go in when Bucky came up to you from behind.

“Careful there. I’m fairly certain the water’s filled with jellyfish,” he wrapped his arms around you and you stiffened slightly.

“Relax,” he whispered into your ear, “People are coming. Remember, you’re supposed to be infatuated with me.”

You gave a small nod and let out a soft giggle. To the approaching group, it seemed like your lover was whispering sweet nothings in your ear.

“Hello there!” shouted one of the men from the group. “I hope we’re not interrupting anything.” He introduced himself as Max Blazier and you felt your heart jump. This was the man you were supposed to get to know and get information from. 

Turning on your charm, you introduced yourself and Bucky. 

“Are you staying here for the summer?” Max motioned towards the villa.

“Just for a month,” you explained. “Had to get away from the world for a while and figured where else to hide out?”

Max nodded, “Don’t I know it. Hey, listen some of us will be getting together on my boat this evening, some fireworks, definitely some drinking. You should come. Both of you,” he nodded to Bucky.

Bucky nodded back, “Sounds great.”

“Great!” replied Max. “I’ll have someone collect you later.” He winked and walked away.

You and Bucky stood around making some small talk until you were certain they were out of hearing.

“I’m not completely comfortable with him sending a driver for us… Thoughts?”

Bucky shrugged, “He seems harmless, so I’m not too worried.”

“A bit too trustworthy though,” you replied. “Who invites strangers onto a boat upon your first meeting?”

Bucky stared at you, “Sweetheart, he was interested in you.”

You stared at Bucky, eyes wide. “What are you talking about?”

Bucky laughed, “He has the hots for you.”

“But... but... I introduced you as my  _ boyfriend _ !” you sputtered.

Bucky took your hand and began walking back to the villa, “Do you really think that matters? Guys like that don’t care.” He shrugged, “They want what they want and they don’t care who they have to hurt. But i’ll be easier for me to stick with you. I can be very possessive.” He waggled his eyebrows.

You laughed at his antics, “Oh Brad, you silly fox. Don’t you know you have my heart.” You made googly eyes at him.

***


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While getting ready to visit Max's yacht, there's some tension. You're having a hard time playing your part but when you visit Max's yacht and he flirts with you, Bucky appears to be upset but is he just playing his part better?

 

The evening came faster than anticipated. You took the rest of the afternoon to get yourself ready. Bucky, the bastard, only needed to shower and dress but you had to pull out all the stops so you could look good enough to fit in with this crowd.

You chose to wear a nude coloured, flowy, chiffon dress. Something that would be comfortable enough to be on boat but nice enough to fit in.

You tried dressing yourself but the stupid dress had one of those invisible zippers at the back. Even standing in front of the full length mirror, you struggled, wriggling until you finally gave up.

Making sure you were decent, you called out, “Brad? I need some help here.”

He walked in, fiddling with a tie. When he looked up, he saw that you were slightly flushed from exerting yourself.

“What’s wrong?”

You grumbled, “I can’t zip this stupid zipper. I’ve never understood why women’s clothes require them to need assistance when getting dressed. This is fucking nonsense.” You turned around so your back was to him and, looking at him in the mirror, you asked, “Can you zip me up, please?”

Gently, he tugged on the zipper and realized it was stuck. “What did you do to this thing?”

“What? Nothing. Hold on to the zipper,” you told him, as you wriggled around trying to unstick it. “Dammit!”

Bucky bit back a laugh, “Woman, stop your moving. You’re making it worse. Take it off.”

You stood still, “What?”

He looked at you, “Take the dress off. I’ll try to get it unstuck.”

You paused for a brief moment then considered that you were supposed to be a couple so you did what he said, thankful you were wearing pretty underwear.

You handed him the dress and took a seat at the edge of the bed. You felt slightly uncomfortable as you were sitting in your underwear while Bucky was fully dressed fiddling with the zipper of your dress so you tried to make conversation.

“I don’t think you need to bother with the tie.”

He didn’t respond, instead, focusing on the task at hand.

“I’m just saying,” you continued on, playing with your hair, “We’ll be on a boat. I think the tie is too formal.”

“Are you seriously having this conversation with me while you’re in your underwear?” he asked, avoiding eye contact.

You shrugged, “Kinda don’t have a choice here, do I?”

He held out your dress, motioning for you to get dressed, “Fixed it.”

Without thinking, you pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, “Thanks. Don’t go far. I’m gonna need help.”

He leaned against the dresser with his arms crossed and watched you as you dressed yourself. Somehow, the moment felt intimate and you knew you needed to break the tension. 

You turned your back to him and wiggled your behind in a silly, exaggerated manner, “If you zip me up, I promise not to try to make things worse by trying to do it myself.”

He let out a tight laugh, “Uh huh,” and gently zipped the dress up.

You looked at each other in the mirror and he wrapped his arms around your waist as he rest his head on your bare shoulder. “We clean up nice,” he commented.

You nodded, “That we do.” Turning to face him you removed his tie, and his eyes widened slightly, “No tie.”

He nodded. As you walked through the hallways and down the stairs you talked about what the upcoming evening.

Some of the kitchen staff had come that night, to set up ahead of time, even though they weren’t starting until tomorrow so before leaving, you addressed them, explaining that you wouldn’t be needing a car. 

When you were alone, Bucky quietly spoke. “Don’t make it a habit to be nice. Remember,  _ Angie _ , you’re a bit of a bitch.”

“ _ Shit _ ,” you muttered under your breath. “I guess I’ll have to be extra heinous tonight and tomorrow. Tell me something Brad,” you grabbed onto his belt and pulled him towards you, “Am I nicer to you?”

Bucky’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he caught himself. He heard the shuffling of someone in the next room over and he realized you were putting on a show for the help.

Gently, he cupped your cheek, rubbing his thumb over your jaw. Dipping his head towards you, he murmured, “Angie, you’re  _ very _ nice to me.” His meaning was quite clear.

He leaned towards you and you weren’t sure how far he would go with the charade. Softly, he brushed his lips against yours. You felt yourself stiffen up and he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close. 

He pulled away and murmured in your ear, “You really gotta be more relaxed around me. Anyone watching us could see how uncomfortable you are.”

You sighed, “I know,” you whispered back as you wrapped your arms around his neck. “I can’t help it.”

He smiled down at you, “We’ll work on it,” he replied with a wink.

 

***

Max’s yacht was breathtaking. It was almost as big as your villa and you were apprehensive boarding it.

“C’mon doll,” Bucky teased, “You’ll be fine. She’s not gonna sink.”

You gripped his hand tightly, “I know that. I just… You know how I feel about boats.”

Seeing Max approach, Bucky pulled you close to him, “I know, doll, but you’ll be fine. I’m here with you.” 

“Angie!” Max pulled you away from Bucky, kissing your cheek, “You made it. How was the ride?”

“Lovely, thank you. And the champagne and flowers were a beautiful touch.” You tried to moved towards Bucky.

“Max,” Bucky held out his hand to shake and Max took it.”Beautiful boat you’ve got.”

Max nodded, “Thanks. Let’s get you two some drinks.” He wrapped his arm around you and you followed him. Looking over your shoulder at Bucky, you saw that he was smirking at you. You knew you’d have to hear him later, but if Max having an interest in you would help you get your information, you’d grin and bear it.

You knew Max wouldn’t mind if Bucky left you two alone so you spent the next half hour with just Max, knowing that Bucky was scoping out the place and planting bugs. After about half an hour of Max chewing your ear off about the details of the boat and the other vehicles he owned you were bored out of your skull. It was clear that Max liked to hear himself talk so you just nodded and smiled when necessary.

Finally, Bucky returned to you. He snaked an arm around your waist and you couldn’t help the relieved smile that crossed your face.

“Here you are, sweetheart,” he kissed your cheek lightly.

“Brad! Where have you been?” you scolded him.

“I ah, got caught up with some other guests.”

You frowned at him, pretending to be jealous at his implication, “Oh, really?”

Bucky looked at Max, “Hey, thanks for entertaining my lady.”

Max smiled tightly at Bucky, “It was my pleasure.”

When you spoke, your voice was as sweet as sugar, “I hate to interrupt you but I was wondering when the fireworks would be taking place?” You put your hand on Max’s arm hoping to diffuse his tension and make him think you were interested.

It worked. He smiled at you, “Just after nine. You’ll want to be on the upper deck to get the best view.” He leaned closer to you, “Tell me Angie, do you like fireworks?”

You giggled, “Very much so.”

“Then I’ll have to make sure we watch some of them together.”

You could see Bucky’s jaw twitch so you turned to him, “Hear that, sweetie? We should be on the upper deck.”

He glowered at Max, “I’ll make sure we’re there.”

Max left then and you turned to Bucky. “I can’t tell if you’re legitimately pissed or just pretending,” you whispered.

“He’s kinda a dick, don’t you think? I don’t mind him hitting on your cuz… you know,” he shrugged, and continued, “But he’s taking a bit far.”

You leaned into him, “Boring, too. I had to pinch myself a few times to make sure I was paying attention to him. Shockingly, he wasn’t interested in what I had to say but preferred the sound of his own voice. I do think that’ll come in handy, don’t you?”

“Loose lips?” Bucky remarked.

You nodded.

“Just be careful. He seems slimy.”

The wind was picking up and you shivered, “I don’t trust him very much. It’s nauseating to have to flirt and giggle with him. Blech,” you made a face. “What time is it?”

“Almost nine. Wanna head up?”

You nodded, smiling.

“Do you really like fireworks?” Bucky asked quietly.

“I love them. They’re so pretty. All sparkly and colourful. But mainly sparkly. I like things that sparkle.” You stopped. “That makes me sound horribly superficial, doesn’t it?”

Bucky laughed, a low sound, “Nah. It’s kinda cute.”

You wrinkled your nose, “Bah. That’s what every woman wants to hear.  _ Cute _ .”

You had reached the upper level and it was much colder up there. Thankfully, the party planner had set up baskets of pillows and blankets so people could sit comfortably and cover themselves up.

Bucky set up a few oversized pillows and as you made yourself comfortable, he grabbed a blanket for you two to share.

He wrapped the blanket around your shoulders and you commented, “No blanket for you?”

He whispered, “Super soldier serum. I always run hot.”

“Lucky,” you were full blown shaking for how cold you were. “This damn dress is ridiculous. I’m freezing.” You burrowed into the blanket forgetting that you were supposed to be classy.

“Come here,” he said gruffly, pulling you closer to him. He wrapped his arms around you and you could feel his warmth through the blanket. “You know your lips are turning blue, right?”

You chewed on your lower lip, trying to get colour back into it. At that moment, the fireworks began. You turned your eyes up to the sky and watched them for a while. The bright colours shone in the sky and the water reflected the pinks, purples, greens, and blues. The result was breathtaking and you didn’t realize you were holding your breath until Bucky poked you in the side and reminded you to breathe.

You took a deep breath in and turned to look at him, eyes shining, “Sorry. They’re just so beautiful, you know? It’s breathtaking.” Belatedly you considered that the noises might trigger his PTSD. “Shit. Are  _ you _ okay with them?”

He nodded, loosening up his hold on you and sinking into the pillow next to you, “A few years ago, no, I wouldn't have been but I’m okay now. I’ve made a lot of progress. Thanks for asking.” He looked at you, “Your lips are back to normal.”

You let out a small giggle, “I can’t believe how cold I am.” 

The wind had picked up and your hair was blowing all over your face. Since your arms were tucked into the blanket, you were trying to shake your head to keep it out of your face to no avail. Bucky leaned forward and brushed a few strands off your face, tucking the hair behind your ear.

“Thanks,” you whispered, giving him a soft smile.

He started into your eyes and brought his hand to you cheek, softly stroking it with his thumb. You held your breath, heart pounding.

“Angie!” Max stood in front of you, breaking you out of the trance you were in. “I’ve been looking for you. I wanted to show you something.” He held out his hand, waiting for you to take it.

You looked at Bucky. He was laying on his pillow and except for the tick in his jaw, he stayed stock still. He gave you a slight nod, communicating that you should go with Max.

You maneuvered out of the blanket, keeping it wrapped around your shoulders. “Sure, Max. I’d love to come with you.”

As you walked away, you looked over your shoulder at Bucky. He was laying back on the pillow, arms behind his head, gazing at the night sky.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to see a bit more of Max's personality...

You followed Max into a private room still on the upper level. He shut the door behind you and you quickly took a look around the room always aware of your surroundings. It seemed safe enough, there was a bar that took up one whole wall, and opposite that, was plush couches in rich ocean colours flanked by two end tables in rich, dark wood. The outer wall was floor to ceiling glass which offered you a view of the ocean and the firework show.

You watched Max walk to the bar and fix himself a drink. Without asking what you wanted, he poured you a glass of champagne. 

“To adventure,” he held his glass to yours in a toast.

You smiled demurely, not wanting to speak and give him any ideas. “This is a beautiful space,” you commented.

He took a seat on one of the couches and leaned back, “Thank you. I’m thinking of having it redone.”

You nodded and went to stand by the window, your back to him. “I hate that I’m missing the show,” you said, taking a sip of your drink. You tried not to wrinkle your nose at the taste of it.

“Isn’t it better in here though? I thought you’d be more comfortable. You looked cold.”

You turned to him, surprised, “You were watching me?”

“Of course.” He studied you intently, eyes dark.

You had realized that you had underestimated him. You had taken him for a frivolous person and you hadn’t considered that he could be shrewd and cunning. Your skin prickled under his watch yet he remained the picture of coolness.

He reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Lighting one up, he took a long draw, watching you the whole time. You watched the smoke curl around his head. “Do you smoke, Angie?”

You smiled, “Occasionally, I indulge.”

“Would you like one?” he offered.

Walking towards him, you took the cigarette from his outstretched hands. He offered you a flame and you lit it, relishing the feel of smoke in your lungs.

He patted the seat next to him, “Sit.”

You sat down trying to keep your distance. Something about this man had you on edge. Your scalp prickled and every instinct you had screamed to walk away but for the sake of the mission, you stayed.

He turned his body slightly so he was facing you. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

You nodded, taking a deep inhale, “The boat is beautiful. Thank you for inviting us.”

“I’m glad. You know, this ship is mine. I know you must think I’m reliant upon my father’s money for things, but I do work hard.

“Why would I think that? I hardly know you, Max.”

“That’s what most people think,” he put his drink down, and finishing his cigarette, he disposed of the butt in the crystal ashtray next to him. “But I’m a very complex man. You’ll see that.”

You forced yourself to smile at him as he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

He smirked, “What do you want to know?”

“Tell me something that no one else knows.”

“I’ll save that for another time,” he chuckled, darkly. “Come, you seem to have warmed up enough. I’ll get you back to your  _ Brad _ .” You shivered at the way he said Brad’s name.

Nodding, you disposed of your cigarette and put down your glass. “That’s probably a good idea.”

He held out his hand and helped you to your feet. “Perhaps you’ll come visit me during the day? It’s simply spectacular to swim this far out in the ocean.”

“Thank you.”

He rest his hand on your lower back, leading you to the door. When you reached the door, he stopped you. “I do hope you’ll take me up on that offer.” He leaned in and kissed you on the corner of your lips. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

Max opened the door and Bucky was standing there on the other side waiting for you.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky confronts Max about his inappropriate behaviour and you're unsure if there's more behind his words. You spend some time discussing the mission, when Steve calls, putting everyone in a sour mood.

Bucky was standing on the other side of the door and by the set of his jaw, he was pissed. When he spoke, his voice was low, “What the hell, Angie?”

You reached out and grabbed his arm, “Brad, calm down. Nothing happened.”

He shrugged your hand off him, “What the hell were you guys doing in there?”

“Nothing! We just had a drink.”

“Yeah,” Max smirked, “She was cold.”

Bucky grabbed you and pulled you so you were standing behind him. “You,” he glowered at Max. “Leave her alone.” He turned to you, “Let’s go.”

He grabbed you by the arm and lead you away in silence. 

The ship was beginning to dock and he angrily lead you off. The ride to the villa was tense and silent and when you arrived back at the villa, Bucky got out and slammed the car door shut without waiting for you to exit the car.

You weren’t sure if he was actually mad or just playing a part but you took your time getting out of the car. The driver looked through the rearview mirror and gave you a sad smile. When you got into the villa, you expected to see Bucky in the hallway but he wasn’t there. You heard noise coming from the living room and headed that way.

Bucky was pacing the room. You stood at the door watching him silently when he stopped suddenly, turning to you.

“Did he hurt you?”

You shook your head, no.

“Did he  _ touch _ you?”

You shook your head again. “Are you… are you actually mad?

He raked a hand through his hair, “No…?” It came out like a question.

“Bucky, stop. Let’s have a drink on the balcony, okay? We can talk about things.”

He nodded, heading towards the glass doors at the other end of the room. You fixed yourself a gin and tonic and poured a glass of scotch for him.

Bucky was sitting on one of the patio loungers, sprawled out, arms behind his head. You handed him his drink. Taking a seat in the other recliner, you took a sip of your drink and made a face. “Ugh. I don’t actually like gin and tonics, you know.”

“Then why do you drink them?”

You swirled the drink the glass and shrugged, “I like the taste of the lime.”

He stared into his drink, “What  _ do _ you like to drink then?”

Leaning into your seat, you answered automatically, “Cofee. Tea. Hot chocolate. Basically, hot beverages.” You shivered in the chair, feeling the cold since you were still in your dress.

Bucky noticed you shivering and suggested you go in to change into something warmer. As much as you wanted to discuss what had happened, you agreed. No point in freezing again.

You quickly changed into warmer clothes and washed off your makeup which took longer than anticipated. You rummaged through your purse for your cigarettes and lighter knowing it was going to be a long night. Hurrying down, you grabbed a few blankets so you could stay warm while outside.

Bucky wasn’t outside anymore but you heard him coming. You looked up to see him carrying two steaming mugs of coffee.

Smiling broadly, you were at a loss. “Thank you.”

He handed you the mug, “I wasn’t sure how you took it, so I just added milk.”

You inhaled the aroma, the giant mug hiding your face. “When it’s made at home, that’s exactly how I take it. It’s when I’m out I get fancy with my coffee. If I’m spending seven bucks on coffee, I want it to taste like dessert.” You took a sip and hummed. “This is delicious. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Lighting it up, he inhaled.

You gaped at him, “Bucky! I didn’t know you smoked!”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Since before…”

You held up your own pack, shaking it, “Looks like we have something in common.”

He gave you a small smile as you lit your own cigarette, “Guess so.”

You sat there in silence, this time, it was comfortable. It was Bucky who broke the silence. “So? What’d you two talk about?

You wrapped a blanket around your shoulders, leaning forward in your chair. “I think I underestimated him. He’s more involved that we thought.”

He motioned for you to continue.

“It was a feeling I got. Like, he was trying to impress me or something and he kept alluding to ‘working hard’ but he wouldn’t actually say what he meant by that.” You shuddered, “He invited me there because he said I looked cold.” You looked at Bucky, “He was watching me. And the whole time, my skin prickled. I don’t like him.”

“You need to figure out how far you want this to go.”

“What do you mean?”

He turned to look at you, exhaling hard, “How far are you willing to go to get what you need from him? It’s obvious he’s interested in you. My little stunt may have been what we need for him to step up. But do we continue down this road? Me being the jealous boyfriend? Or do we try a different tactic?”

You made a face, “Shit. I don’t know. Do we have to decide right now?”

He gave you a small smile, “No, not right now, but we should have a plan of action soon enough. I know the estimated time for this mission was weeks but we didn’t anticipate immediate contact with the target or how badly he wants to get with you.”

At that moment, Bucky’s phone rang. When he answered it, it went straight to video chat.

“Bucky, what’s the status? Neither you or Y/N have checked in with anyone on our end.” It was Steve.

Bucky looked up at you. You were frozen in your spot, cigarette halfway to your lips. Swallowing hard, you nodded to him.

“Steve. Things are going well. The target made immediate contact with us, well, with Y/N. Seems like he has an interest in her.”

“Make sure she doesn’t get in over her head on this.”

Your blood boiled. Tossing the lit cigarette to the ground, you snatched the phone from Bucky’s hand, “ _ She _ can take care of herself just fine,  _ Captain _ .”

“Y/N, don’t do something you’ll regret.” His tone was condescending.

“Where the hell do you get off telling me what to do? You’re not my superior in this case so you can fuck right off.” You tossed the phone back to Bucky, “I’m going to bed.”

Steve waited for you to walk away then he laughed, “Still got that fiery temper, huh?”

Bucky rolled his eyes. He butt out his cigarette, “She’s not wrong, you know. You’re being as asshole.”

“C’mon Buck. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Well, we’re not reporting to you on this one. So you don’t need to call and request updates. You can get them from Fury if you’re that damned curious.”

“Okay, okay. Sorry.”

Bucky nodded, tensely. “I’m gonna call it a night, too. It’s been a busy day.”

“Take care of yourself.”

Bucky shut down the call and sat there, staring at the night sky for a while. He was hoping that if enough time had passed, maybe you’d be asleep before he came up to bed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're upset with Steve's phone call. You and Bucky spend your first night together. is it awkward? Is it tense?

You stormed up to the bedroom, stomping up to your room. When you reached there, you slammed the door shut but still didn’t feel any better. Looking at the bed, you knew you were too angry with Steve to even contemplate sleep. You hated how he could get under your skin like that; he was so infuriating! You caught a glimpse of the walk in shower and hoped a hot shower would calm you down.

Collecting your toiletries and towels, you turned on the shower and undressed in the bathroom, leaving your clothes on the sink. The bathroom filled with steam and you stepped in. Your shower this afternoon was one of necessity, this one was for luxury. You took advantage of the shower head that was like rain letting it fall over you and soothe you. You took your time washing yourself, using your loofah to scrub your skin until it hurt. The action allowed you to calm down and by the time you were done, you felt calmer.

Stepping out onto the bathmat, you wrapped your hair with a towel wrapping the second one around your body. You moisturized your face and rubbed your favourite coconut scented lotion into your skin. Foregoing the blow dryer, you put your hair into a loose braid.

You were about to step out of the bedroom to get dressed when you realized Bucky was in the bedroom. And so were your clothes.

Taking a deep breath, you walked into the bedroom. You avoided eye contact and quickly grabbed your clothes, going to dress yourself in the bathroom. Once you were decent, you walked back into the room.

Bucky started to speak, “I’m sorry - “

You held up a hand, interrupting him, “Stop. I don’t want to talk about him. It took me long enough to calm down,” you motioned to the shower, “I don’t want to get riled up for no reason.”

He nodded, leaning back on the bed. “Okay. You done in the bathroom? I’d like to shower quickly.”

You shut off your lamp and turned down the bed and rest your head on the pillow, staring at the shadow’s Bucky’s lamp cast on the ceiling. You tried really hard not to think of Bucky in the shower.  _ Where did that come from? _ You wondered, shaking your head, trying to rid yourself of the images that you were starting to picture.

Staring at the ceiling, you went over the day’s events. You didn’t trust Max as far as you could throw him and although you were pretty strong, it wouldn’t be far. He alluded to being more involved in things than it appeared. He also seemed to have some underlying issues about mooching off his family. Something was off about the whole situation but you couldn’t put your finger on it. It was just a nagging feeling you had that you couldn’t shake.

You briefly thought about Steve’s phone call. He had no reason to call except it seemed like he was checking up on you two. You knew that it made you feel shitty, and you imagined Bucky wasn’t too happy about it either, though you didn’t stick around to hear the conversation.

Your fingers started itching and you were getting agitated when Bucky opened the bathroom door. Steam poured into the bedroom and you looked up. 

He stood in the doorway, running a towel through his hair. He was wearing sweatpants, slung low on his hips and you couldn’t help but cast a glance at his physique.

He cleared his throat, catching you staring but when you made eye contact you noticed he was smirking. “My eyes are up here, Y/N.”

You rolled your eyes, embarrassed, “Stuff it, Barnes. You’ve got a rockin’ bod. Sorry I took a moment to appreciate it.”

He laughed at your honesty and leaned on the door. “Do you always just say what’s on your mind?”

You nodded, “I try to. I don’t like games or pretences or pretending. Usually, what you see is what you get. Except for, you know, being undercover.”

He nodded, “Cool. I’m ah, just gonna say one thing and then we’ll put it behind us, okay?”

You nodded.

“I called Steve out on his shit. He had no reason to call and check up on us and I agreed with what you said, one hundred per cent. Told him if he has any more inquiries, he should go through Fury.”

You found yourself tearing up, “Thank you,” you managed to whisper. You knew it must’ve been difficult for him, siding against his best friend and you hated that he was in this position. You’d only spent a day together but it felt like you knew each other so much longer than just a day and you felt bad.

He noticed your tears. “Shit, I’m sorry. Don’t cry.” He ran a hand through his still damp hair, not sure what to do.

You laughed, a small sound, “ _ I’m _ sorry. I don’t know why i’m crying. No… that’s not true. I’m sorry if you feel like you’ve been put in the middle of things. You’re right, he had no reason to call except to be an ass. Most people don’t see him that way.”

Bucky made his way towards the bed and sat down, facing you. “Yeah, he tends to present himself differently than the little shithead that he truly is.”

This time, your laugh was sincere. “That is perfect. He really is a shithead.”

“And the closet smoking? I can’t wait to call him out on that. He always gives me a hard time meanwhile, the damn hypocrite smokes! What’s that all about?””

You laughed at his outburst, “Oh man, you’re killing me. Thank you.”

Bucky smiled at you, “There we go. No more crying over someone who’s not worth you.”

You stopped laughing. The atmosphere suddenly felt heavy and you cleared your throat, “Thanks. Um. What side of the bed do you prefer?”

“The left. That okay?”

“Yeah, I usually sleep on the right. Or, ah, the middle.” You crawled under the covers and turned to face him, “I should warn you, I move a lot in my sleep. Like, I’ll probably end up on your side of the bed at some point.”

He laughed at that, “That’s fine.” He reached over to his lamp and shut the light.

“Good night Bucky.”

“Good night Y/N.”

You closed your eyes and waited for sleep to come to no avail. You tried counting sheep, but it didn’t help. You turned to your back and waited. You threw off the covers. Nothing. Sighing, you rolled to your other side and pulled the covers back up. You tried focusing on the rhythmic sound of Bucky’s breathing. You sighed, wiggling into the bed when Bucky spoke.

“What’s wrong?”

You turned back to face him, “I can’t sleep,” you whispered. “I’m sorry if I’m keeping you up.” You could see each other through the light of the moon.

“Turn over.”

“What?”

He sighed, “Just turn over.”

You rolled over to your side again, putting your back to Bucky.

You stiffened up when you felt him move towards you and wrap his arm around you.

“Bucky?” you whispered.

“Try to sleep, Y/N. It’s been a long day. Don’t make it a long night.”

You nodded and closed your eyes. You realized that because of your tossing and turning, your shorts had ridden up and your top was twisted. You wriggled a bit, trying to adjust yourself.

When Bucky spoke, it was almost a growl, “Stop moving, Y/N.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just adjusting myself.”

“I get that but if you keep wriggling around against me, I’m going to have to adjust  _ myself _ .” 

You paused taking a moment to consider his words. Then you burst into laughter, “Oh my God, I am so sorry.”

“And yet you’re still wiggling.” He pulled you closer to him, constricting your ability to move.

You giggled, “Good night Bucky.”

“Mmm hmm.”

 

***

You woke up feeling like you were on fire. You were sweaty and you felt squished. It took you a moment before you realized you were still wrapped tightly in Bucky’s arms and your legs were entangled. 

You wiggled apprehensively, trying to break free. Instead, he pulled you closer.

Giggling softly, you whispered, “Bucky?” You tried prying his hands off you. “I need to get up.”

He groaned, “Shh. Go back to bed.”

“Bucky, I need to pee!”

He rolled off you and you hopped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. 

After relieving yourself, you brushed your teeth and went back to bed.

You lay there, facing Bucky and you examined his profile.

“Y/N?” his voice was gruff and raspy from sleep. “Please stop staring at me. It’s creeping me out.”

You smiled, “How did you know?”

“I can feel it,” he paused, “If you’re gonna be awake, could you please go make coffee. I would give my left nut for coffee right now.”

You howled with laughter, “Oh God,” you got out of bed, wrapping a robe around your body, “You’re a man after my heart.”

He peeked open an eye, “Huh?”

“Coffee before talkie, babe,” you winked at him and walked out of the bedroom.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You address the staff and Bucky gets a little too close for your liking to the pretty gardener. Max invites you to the yacht to apologize to the both of you.

As you made your way down to the kitchen you heard the commotion of the kitchen staff behind the closed doors. Pausing you turned and entered the formal dining room, taking your seat at the head of the table. You didn’t have to wait for long before someone came in. You knew she was waiting to be addressed so before you made your request for breakfast you asked her her name. She introduced herself as Marta and you then ordered for both you and Bucky, dismissing her.

He entered the room catching the tail end of your dismissal. You caught the smirk on his face and he quickly sat next to you, taking your hand. Rubbing his thumb over yours he leaned in and spoke, so low only you could hear, “You know, this spoiled princess routine really fits you. Something you wanna tell me?”

You giggled, lightly, “Hush you. I’m trying to have fun with it.”

He brushed some hair out of your face as Marta returned with your coffee, you both intentionally ignored her.

“You’re the one who said I need to be meaner to the help so,” you shrugged, “This is me being mean.”

“It’s not even that mean. You still manage to be a sweetheart,” he brought your hand up and brushed his lips against them, making your face heat up.

You drank your coffee, hiding your smile behind your mug as she brought in your breakfast - yogurt and fruit for you and toast, bacon, and eggs for Bucky.

“I took the liberty of ordering you a big breakfast, I hope you don’t mind.”

He thanked you, digging in. As soon as Marta shut the door, you snatched a piece of his bacon. 

“Hey!” he yelped, angling his plate away from you, “If you wanted bacon, why didn’t you get your own?”

You quickly chewed the piece you pilfered and gave him a wide-eyed look, “Why Brad, you know Angie doesn’t eat  _ bacon _ .” You tried to take another piece but he smacked your hand away. You laughed and dug into your breakfast, sighing at your lack of bacon, “This is what a  _ lady _ eats for breakfast,” you rolled your eyes.

Leaning closer he whispered, “I can sneak you some bacon tonight.”

You burst out laughing, “Oh my God, do you have any idea how dirty that sounded?”

He blushed, running his hand through his hair, “Yeah, I heard it as soon as I said it.” He looked away, embarrassed and you stole another piece of bacon. 

“I’m going to call a meeting to meet everyone a bit later this morning. You okay with that?”

He nodded, eating his breakfast.

***

You walked together back to the room and you quickly took a shower so you could do your face while Bucky was showering. After getting dressed, you met the staff in the foyer.

Clearing your throat, you introduced yourself and Bucky and explained your expectations for everyone. You wanted to discuss some meal plans with the kitchen staff so you walked with Marta. Turning back you noticed one of the younger girls on staff was hanging around Bucky, trying to catch his attention.

“Marta, who’s that?” you asked, motioning to the girl.

“That’s Ysabelle,” she looked back and frowned at what she saw. “She takes care of the outside of the villa.”

You watched and saw Bucky smiling at her and she stepped into his personal space, tossing her hair. You had an unsettling feeling in your stomach, you couldn’t really place it or name it but you didn’t like it. You stiffened and followed Marta into the kitchen.

 

***

You met Bucky for lunch on the outdoor patio. When he pulled his chair closer to yours you unconsciously moved yours back. He furrowed his brow but didn’t push. You spread your napkin over your lap and took a sip of your ice water.

“What were you up to this morning?” you asked, trying to keep your voice nonchalant. 

“Oh, I spent some time with the gardener on the outside of the villa.”

“Ysabelle?” you practically spat out.

“Yeah,” he nodded, “Ysabelle. Are you okay?”

“Uh huh,” you crossed your legs, putting more distance between the two of you. “Learn anything interesting?”

He leaned back in his chair, “As a matter of fact, yes, I did. We talked about the land here and some of the neighbours might be worth looking into.”

“Well while you were  _ gossiping _ , I had an interesting morning.”

“Wait. Are you  _ jealous _ ?”

You scoffed. “Me? Jealous? Me?”  _ Shit. Were you jealous? No. _ “No. Why would I be jealous?”

He smiled at you.

“Look, you’re supposed to be my boyfriend and it’s embarrassing that you’re  _ flirting _ with the help.” You could feel your face heat up at how silly you sounded.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t flirting with her. I just thought we should learn about our neighbours, see if any names were worth looking into. Tell me about your morning.”

“I received a text message from Max.”

Bucky’s nostrils flared imperceptibly. He took a long swallow of his water. “How’d he get your number?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.”

“Did you  _ give  _ it to him?”

“No!” You were surprised at his accusation. “Why would I give him my number?!”

“What did he want?”

“He invited us out to go swimming on the boat. He wants to apologize to you… in person - “

“He wants to see you in a bikini,” he interrupted.

You felt your face heat up, “No he doesn’t.” Taking a moment, you adjusted your hair, “ _ Shit _ , yeah, he probably does.  _ Yuck _ .”

“This guy’s persistent,” Bucky paused as Marta brought out lunch, “Thank you,” he said to her, absentmindedly. He looked at you, waiting for an explanation.

“Oh yeah, I took some time to menu plan with Marta this morning. I wanted to make sure we used local resources as much as possible.” Serving him some salad, you explained, “The tomatoes and basil are grown right here on this land, the bocconcini is made using milk from a local dairy farmer,” you motioned to the plate of various cold cuts, “Marta’s husband makes the prosciutto, capicola, and sopressata himself. You have to try it - it’s to die for. And the bread was made here, fresh this morning.”

He speared a piece of prosciutto and bit back a moan of pleasure, “Oh wow.”

You blinked quickly and gave your head a shake, trying not to stare at him. You were thankful when Marta returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. 

Before she left, Bucky held out his hand, stopping her, “Marta? I have to tell you, this prosciutto is wonderful.”

She smiled at him, “Thank you, sir. I will let my husband know.”

When Marta left, Bucky poured you both a glass of wine, it complemented the lunch perfectly. 

Swirling his wine, Bucky turned to you, “So, when are we supposed to go to the boat?” He took a long swallow and you watched him. He cleared his throat. When you looked up, you noticed he was smirking at you and you rolled your eyes at him.

“This afternoon,” you replied, taking a long gulp of water. Unfortunately for you, you missed your mouth completely and ended up splashing water down the front of your face, neck, and shirt, “Ah, shit,” you complained, quickly grabbing your napkin to clean yourself up. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Bucky watch as you patted at the water his jaw tense so you kept your chuckle to yourself.

He sighed, “Let’s get it over with then,” he muttered, going back to his lunch.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see a little more about Max. You devise a plan to do some snooping, though Bucky isn't happy about it. There's some flirting and some tension.

This time, heading to Max’s boat you made sure you got there on your own. Bucky insisted on driving and seeing how he had spent more time driving in Europe, you were happy to concede this to him. You insisted on taking the scenic route spending some time in the industrial area near the docks and since Bucky was driving you were free to look out the window. You noticed the signs in the front of a series of buildings.

“Hey, Buck? See that symbol?” you motioned to a symbol on one of the signs, “I noticed the same one on Max’s lighter the other day.”

“You think those are the buildings his family owns?”

You nodded, worrying your lower lip. “I wonder if they’re all clean. How can I get in there?”

Bucky gave you a look, “Don’t you mean _ we _ ?”

You shook your head, “No. I mean  _ I _ . On what planet is Max going to let  _ you _ into his buildings?”

“No? I thought with him apologizing we’d be best friends.”

You gave an involuntary shudder, “I don’t know about this apology. I don’t … trust him.”

Looking at you out of the corner of his eye, “You don’t think this is a legitimate olive branch?”

Worrying your lower lip again, you shake your head.

“Sweetheart, if you keep biting on that lip you’re gonna chew it right off.”

You hadn’t even realized you were doing it and when you let it go you felt the sting. “Ugh. I have a really bad feeling about this.”

“Me too. Look, we’ll make sure we stick together, okay?” He pulled into a parking area near Max’s boat. “We’re probably going to have to check for bugs in the car after we leave so just remember not to say anything of importance.”

It was your turn to give him a look, “Really? Am I new here?” Out of the corner of your eye you spotted Max walking towards the car. “Kiss me,” you blurted out.

You had to hand it to Bucky, he didn’t question your motives he just followed your instructions trusting you had a reason to demand a kiss from him at that particular moment.

He turned himself so your bodies were facing each other. One hand behind your neck, he pulled you towards him, crashing his lips to yours. His other hand caressed your cheek as his tongue traced the seam of your lips. You opened, allowing him access and you hummed into his mouth. He tangled his hands in your hair and you leaned towards him when you were interrupted by a knock on the car window. 

Bucky pulled away from you oh so slowly and you were left breathless, forgetting where you were for a moment. When another knock came, you nearly jumped out of your skin. Turning, you saw Max standing there with a sour look on his face. You knew you look disheveled, like you were just  _ kissed _ and that was the point, for him to see you with your boyfriend. But holy hell, you were not expecting that.

Max pulled open your door and helped you out of the car, placing a kiss on your cheek, “So glad you could come,” he said for your ears only.

You could see Bucky glaring at him and he had the decency to look embarrassed. Walking towards Bucky, Max held out his hand to shake, “Brad, I have to apologize for my past behaviour. I’ve been out of line.”

Bucky shook his hand and nodded tersely and you thought it was a bit like watching a pissing contest the way these two were behaving. You internally rolled your eyes at Max’s ‘apology’; he was apologizing for his behaviour yet here he was still doing the same things to piss Bucky off.

Clearing your throat, the men ended their handshakes, “Who else is here today?” you asked, grabbing your bag from the car.

Max allowed Bucky to carry the bags as he led you onto the boat, “Just a few friends. Some of the same people from the other night.” He lead you to a door, “You guys can change there so you can have some privacy,” he punctuated his sentence with a wink which left your skin crawling.

You saw Bucky roll his eyes and you gave him a smile. Entering the room, you took a look around at the space. It was similar to the one you were in the last time with Max, only this time, instead of a bar there was a separate door which, upon peeking through, lead into a beautiful bathroom complete with soaking tub and rain shower. 

Bucky let out a low whistle, “Nice.”

“Uh huh,” you replied, “I’m just gonna freshen up,” you motioned to the bathroom, “I’ll meet you by the pool?”

Bucky nodded, leaving.

You splashed some cold water on your faces, fingering your lips, which were still puffy from the kiss.  _ And what a kiss _ . You were still thinking about it and had to shake your head, telling yourself to focus. Your lives could be at risk here and you were distracted over Bucky. And that kiss. Taking a deep breath, you steadied yourself and standing up straight, you prepared to walk outside.

You walked onto the deck and immediately your eyes searched out Bucky. You found him near the shallow end of the pool, laying back on a lounge chair, wearing his board shorts and long sleeved surf shirt, eyes hidden behind his sunglasses. You felt someone watching you and you knew it was Max. Bucky was watching too, and if it wasn’t for the slight tick in his jaw showing that he noticed Max’s attention on you, you’d think he had his eyes closed.

Since Max was watching, you put on a bit of a show for him. Flouncing over to Bucky, you stood in front of him, blocking the sun, “Are you planning on swimming at all?” you asked, pouting.

Shaking his head, he mumbled, “No. Gonna get some sun. You go, have fun.”

You turned around and untied the front of your swimsuit cover up, then pulled it over your head. As you adjusted your bikini, you heard Bucky let out a slight hiss behind you and you couldn’t help smirking. As you made your way to the pool steps, you put a little extra wiggle in your walk.

Stepping one toe in, you found it a bit cold for your liking. Noticing Max swimming towards you, you asked, “Max, what’s the water temperature at?”

“Around 85 degrees. Why? Too cold for you, princess?”

Both you and Bucky frowned at his use of a nickname for you, “Yes, it is actually. I  _ always _ keep my pools at 90.” You took another step in.

His eyes raked over your form making you really uncomfortable and you wanted to jump right in the water to cover your body from his gaze. Sensing your nervousness, he chuckled, darkly, “Come on in, I don’t bite.”

You rolled your eyes at him, temper getting the better of you, “I would think not.” Your tone was clipped.

You submerged yourself in the water and swam into the deep end, away from Max but also away from Bucky. You did a few laps, getting a feel for the water and trying to warm up. You were also hoping Max would lost interest and leave you alone. No such luck. As you stopped swimming laps, you began to tread water and you actually took a moment to look down. Gasping, it felt like you were swimming directly in the ocean - the deepest part of the pool stuck out from the ship and the floor was made of plexiglass, which allowed you to see directly into the ocean below. 

“Beautiful,” Max murmured, much closer than you wanted him to be.

“It is, thank you for inviting us.”

“I wasn’t talking about the pool.” If possible, he came even closer, causing you to move away which put you against the pool wall with nowhere to go.

Quickly, you looked for Bucky and noticed he wasn’t there anymore. In fact, no one was on the deck anymore and it was just the two of you in the water. “Where did everyone go?” 

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, the chef requested everyone to taste some of his newest items,” he motioned to the far end of the deck, “Don’t worry, your  _ Brad _ is right over there.”

You took a deep breath and looked him in the eye, “What is your issue with Brad? I’m sorry but you’ve been quite intolerant of him and you don’t even know him.”

“I know that he’s not good enough for you.”

Your nostrils flared, “You don’t even know me.”

“I know that I’m a better for you than he ever would be,” he reached out his hand to tuck an errant strand of hair from your face, “And I know that I won’t stop until you see it.” He leaned down, whispering in your ear, “And I always get my way.” 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Max have a moment in the pool. You and Bucky have a better moment. The evening doesn't end as expected.

 

Taking a breath to steady your nerves, you moved closer to Max. “Is that so?” you challenged him, “In this case, what would getting your way entail?”

His eyes darkened, “You sure you wanna know, princess?”

You stifled the urge to roll your eyes at the nickname.  _ Ugh _ . Your tongue darted out to moisten your lips and you give him a smile, “I think I’d like to know.”

His eyes followed your tongue, and he swam forward, putting his arms on either side of you caging you in. “Oh, princess, I think this is a conversation for a later time, when it’s just you and I, don’t you think?” His voice sounded deeper and you shivered. Thankfully, he took the shiver for arousal and not disgust.

“What were you thinking?” you spoke softer, forcing him to lean in closer. You figured he’d use it as an opportunity to check out your cleavage and you weren’t disappointed.  _ So predictable _ .

“How about you swing by my factory tomorrow morning? There’re plenty of places for private conversations there.” 

_ Bingo _ . “What should I tell Brad?”

“Tell him you’re meeting me to discuss  _ business _ . It doesn't concern him,” he all but growled.

You gave him what you hoped was a blinding smile, rested your hand on his chest, and giggled, “Perfect. I can’t wait.”

He cupped your face in his hand and ran his thumb over your bottom lip, “Me neither.” With that, he swam away and then got out of the pool and made his way over to where his chef had set up shop.

You ducked under the water to hide your shudder. You really didn’t like this guy but so far, his attraction to you was helpful. You were having a hard time playing the flirty princess role but if it needed to be done, so be it.

When you came up for air, you saw Bucky sitting at the edge of the shallow end glaring. You had hoped he didn’t see what had transpired, which was ridiculous because why would it matter if he saw? In fact, it would be better so he could play the jealous boyfriend. Only… you didn’t want to hurt his feelings. 

When you made eye contact, he slid into the water and swam towards you. You waited in the deep end, treading water, worried about how this was going to play out.

He surfaced a few feet from you and you could see how pissed he was; jaw tight, lips pursed, nostrils slightly flared. Unlike when Max approached you, you welcomed Bucky and shivered with anticipation.

He came right up next to you, so close that you could feel the heat and anger radiating off him. 

“Brad?” you voice was soft.

“Don’t,” he ground out, “I don’t want to fucking hear it. It’s taking all my effort not to throw him off this fucking boat.”

“Oh.”

“Stop it.”

“Stop ...what?” you were legitimately confused.

He came closer and leaned into you, whispering into your ear, “Stop  _ that _ ,” he brought his mouth to the shell of your ear and gave a nip, “Stop being so damn enticing,” bringing his lips to your neck next, “arousing,” then your shoulder, “delectable.”

His hands gripped your hips and  _ thank God _ because you were sure you were going to sink, you couldn’t focus. He pressed up against you and you gripped his shoulders.

“What...what are we doing?”

He let out a dry chuckle, “ _ We’re  _ not doing anything.  _ I _ had to show Max who you belong to.”

You couldn’t keep the disappointment from marring your face, “Oh.”

He grabbed you harder, “Sweetheart, you misunderstand. The  _ glowering _ was for him.  _ This _ is for me.” He leaned in and kissed you, bruising and frantic. This was no teasing, slow seduction, this was possessive and demanding. And over way too soon. When he pulled away, biting on your lower lip, you were almost panting with want.

“Wow,” you murmured earning you a predatory smile. 

“Think I can let go of you? Or will you sink?”

You let out a laugh, “I’m good… I’ll be good.”

He gave you one last squeeze before letting go, “I’m gonna swim to cool off some.” He winked and swam away.

Your head was spinning. You swam slowly to the shallow end and climbed out. And saw Max staring darkly at you from across the deck.

 

***

The ride back to the villa was silent. You had wanted to make small talk in case of bugs but Bucky put the kibosh on that the minute you opened your mouth, “ _ Princess _ , I don’t want to talk right now.” He ran his hands through his hair, “Do you have any idea how angry I am at you? How do you think I feel, looking over at you  _ all over _ him. I saw red. So we’ll save it for when we get home, okay?” He reached his hand out and gave your knee a squeeze, to show that he wasn’t as mad as he was pretending to be.

You arrived back at the villa as the sun was setting. You were drowsy and sticky from the sun and sunscreen. You stumbled out of the car and Bucky came to hold your hand, helping you walk into the place.

“I’m so tired all of a sudden,” you mumbled into his shoulder.

“Sweetheart, did you eat anything today?”

You nodded, barely able to keep your eyes open, “I ate … some snacks .... after swimming…” You slumped against him, unable to hold your head up.

He gave you a shake, “Did you drink anything? At all?”

“Water? From the room…”

He dropped the bags and scooped you up, “You’re really warm. Let’s get you inside and cool you off.”

You snuggled into him and hummed, “Hmmm, you smell nice.”

He chuckled, carrying you up the steps into the villa, “Thanks.”

Eyes closed, you continued, “What happened today? Why did you kiss me like that?”

He carried you up the stairs, “Maybe we should talk about this when you’re a little more alert.”

“I’m alert.”

Gently, he lay you on the bed, “You can barely keep your eyes open and…  _ fuck _ you’re slurring your words. I think you were drugged.” He snarled, “That  _ fucker _ .”

“Bucky?” you whimpered, “I don’t feel so good.” 

He looked over at you and saw that you were shaking. Rushing over to your side, he held your face in his hands, “Sweetie,  _ sweetie _ , open your eyes. Please.”

Your eyes felt like they weighed a thousand pounds but you opened them.

He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, “You’re eyes are slightly dilated but not too much. I hate to leave you alone but I’m gonna get you something to drink - “

“No!” you gasped out with what little energy you had left, “Please don’t go.”

He grabbed your hands, “I promise I’ll be right back. I’ll be as fast as I can, I swear to you.” Giving your hands a squeeze, he brought them to his lips and placed a light kiss across your knuckles, “I promise.”

You nodded and whispered okay and waited for what seemed like forever until he returned. When he got back you were curled into a ball.

“Sweetheart, try to drink some water, please. You’ll feel better.” He sat you up and brought the glass to your lips, “Please drink.”

You took a long swallow and shook your head, “No more. Please,” you managed to choke out.

He moved so that he was behind you and he wrapped his arms around you, “I’m gonna hold you, okay, honey? You try to sleep it off. I’ll wake you up to drink some water but right now, you should try to sleep for a bit.”

You slumped into his arms and passed out.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky spends the night taking care of you. You both admit somethings to each other.

You woke up in the middle of the night gasping for air. Bucky was still holding you and he jumped awake, “Sweetie, breathe.”

You clawed at your throat, “I -  _ can’t _ \- “ you choked out.

You were burning up and shaking. Bucky grabbed your shoulders and looked into your eyes, “Y/N, breathe with me.” He slowly breathed in and out. Eventually you were able to breath properly but your heart was racing. 

“What the fuck is going on?” you couldn’t even make sense of what was happening.

“I think your body’s fighting whatever drug is in your system.”

You jumped out of the bed, “My skin is on  _ fire _ .” You had stopped shivering and were starting to sweat profusely. “This is fucking  _ awful _ .”

Bucky smiled at you, “You seem to be alert so that’s a plus. You’re probably metabolizing whatever drug was in your system. Why don’t you take a shower? You might feel better.”

You had been pacing around the room and stopped at his suggestion, “That’s a good idea. I think I will.” Quickly grabbing a change of clothes and a towel you made your way to the bathroom and went to close the door when you realized that Bucky had followed you in.

“Buck? What do you think you’re doing?”

“This is not up for discussion. I’m staying in the bathroom while you shower. I’ll turn my back to give you all the privacy you need but I’m not leaving you alone, okay?”

You hated to admit it but he was right. “Okay, but turn around. And no peeking.”

“If I’m gonna see you naked it’s gonna be by your own volition,” he smirked at you, “not because you’ve been drugged.”

You rolled your eyes and motioned with your finger, “Turn around mister.”

Bucky complied with you request, sitting on the floor near the sink and turning around. You quickly undressed and stepped into the shower. The cool water was like heaven on your skin, so refreshing, that you sighed out.

His voice startled you, “You okay?” 

Looking through the frosted glass door you saw Bucky standing and walking towards you, “I’m fine!” you yelped and he halted, “It feels really good, that’s all.”

As you washed yourself you spoke, “I’m meeting Max at one of his factories this morning. I’m not supposed to tell you where I’m going but I plan on doing some investigating while I’m in there.” You shut off the water and opening the door slightly, you reached out to grab your towel. After making sure you were covered, you stepped out of the shower but stumbled.

In a flash, Bucky was by your side, holding you up. “You’re not going. Not like this.”

Struggling to pull away, you argued, “I have to. But hear me out. We wire me and you stay nearby. Just in case. Can we do that?”

You could tell he wasn’t impressed with this plan but you both knew you really didn’t have much choice. He sat on the bed, and you made him turn around while you got dressed, “I have a bunch of bugs designed as jewellery and hair accessories that I can use. You know this is the only way. I’m decent by the way.”

You sat next to him and he turned to look at you, “What i want to know is why would he drug you only to invite you to his factory?”

You lay back on your pillow, “I don’t think he anticipated my forwardness. Though why drug just me? What was he planning on doing with you?”

Bucky let out a dry laugh, “While we were at the chef’s area, a bunch of the gals on board were doing their very best to distract me.”

Not saying a word, you just cocked a brow.

He shrugged, “I played along for a bit but when they invited me back to one of the private cabins and I declined they seemed worried.”

“ _ They _ ?” you asked.

“Yes,  _ they _ . I was under the impression that Max put them up to it though and it wasn’t something they wanted to do. That’s when I came back to the pool.”

“And saw Max and I canoodling.”

He nodded and lay on his side, facing you, “Yeah. But you weren’t really canoodling.”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Not to just anyone, no. But now I can tell the difference from when you’re faking things or being genuine.” He moved to smooth out your hair and your breath hitched. “See that? That didn’t happen with him.”

“What are you talking about?” you spoke softly.

The grin he gave was heart melting, “C’mon Y/N, really? The difference between how you acted with me on the first day to now is like night and day. You really think I can’t tell when you’re faking it?”

Shooting him what you hoped was an impassive look, you challenged him, “Try me.”

He laughed at you, “Before, when I touched your hair, your breathing changed. Not drastically but enough for me to notice,” he leaned closer, “Right now, your pupils are  _ just _ slightly dilated but again,  _ I _ noticed.” He reached out and cupped your face, tilting it to the side. Bringing his lips to your neck, he pressed feather light kisses down until he reached your pulse where he bit down, “Right there, your pulse is  _ racing _ .” He pulled away from you and looked you in the eye, “That was faking. This is genuine. You want me.”

You opened your mouth to tell him he was wrong but he continued, bringing his face to yours, “Don’t lie and say you don’t because your body gives it away. But guess what? I want you, too.” 

He closed the space between you and kissed you, unhurriedly, he took his time getting acquainted with your lips. You sighed and he slipped his tongue in your mouth, gently tasting you. You wrapped your arms around his neck pulling him closer to you when he pulled away, resting his forehead against yours.

Eyes closed, he took a few deep breaths, “We have to stop.”

Your eyes flew open, “What - why?”

He rubbed his hands down your sides, gripping your hips, “As much as I want this, we should wait until you’ve completely recovered.”

You bit your lip, “Shit, yeah, you’re right.”

Bucky sighed heavily, “I hate it when I’m right.” He lay back and pulled you to him, wrapping his arms around you, “Let’s try to get some more sleep, huh? Hopefully you’ll feel better in a few hours.”

You snuggled into him and rest your head on his chest, his steady heartbeat lulling you to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You prepare to go to Max's factory. When you're there, you start snooping around. The stakes are high.

When you awoke for the second time that morning, the sun was shining through the window and you felt a million times better than earlier. Bucky still had his arms wrapped around you and you smiled. 

Raising your arms above your head you stretched out, inadvertently pushing your bottom closer to Bucky.

He rocked his hips against you, and rasped, “Well, good morning to you, too.” You giggled and he kissed your neck, biting down on your pulse, and whispered, “See? Not faking it.”

You arched your body into him when suddenly you both heard a gasp and the bedroom door slam shut.

You tried to jump up to see who it was but Bucky held you tighter, whispering, “It was Ysabelle. I heard her skulking around and saw her dark hair when she opened the door.”

You relaxed a bit in his arms, “Why would she be up here, coming to our bedroom?”

He shrugged, “I’m guessing she was checking up on us, particularly you. Perhaps she’s not what she seems?”

“But you already knew that, didn’t you?” you rolled your eyes at him, “And that’s why you were flirting with her the other day.” He didn’t respond, only smirked at you, “Dammit. Don’t I feel like an ass.”

“It’s okay, doll, I’m just better at this than you are,” he poked your side making you laugh, “Besides, it’s better that she saw this; when she reports to whoever she’s reporting to, this is  _ normal _ .”

“Mmm hmm,” you wiggled in his arms, sighing, “I have to get ready for today. I wish we had had more time to prepare for things.”

“Depending on how today goes, we might be done this mission sooner than expected.”

You weren’t prepared for the hollow feeling in the pit of your stomach. Pushing your face into Bucky’s chest, you took a deep breath in.

“Hey,” he lifted your chin up so you were forced to look at him, “Just because we go back to normal doesn’t mean this has to end… unless you want it to.”

You gave him a sad smile, shaking your head adamantly, “How can it end if it hasn’t even started?”

The grin he gave you almost stopped your heart. He ran his thumb across your cheek, wiping away a tear you didn’t even realize had fallen.

“Baby girl, don’t cry. We can work this out, don’t worry.”

He sounded so certain, you couldn’t help but believe him, even though a part of you was still weary. You took in a breath and pushed him away gently, “I’ve got to get ready. And so do you.” Giving him a chaste kiss you got out of bed and locked the bathroom door.

 

****

After putting the finishing touches on your makeup you pinned up your hair with bugs that were designed as bobby pins. You also put on a sparkling ring that was also a bug - Tony Stark truly was a technological genius. You sighed heavily and Bucky came up behind you. He sat on your vanity bench forcing you forward and he wrapped his arms around you.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?”

You shrugged, not wanting to answer.

“Baby girl, get it out now. We can’t afford for you to be distracted with Max around, okay? Tell me what’s wrong.”

You closed your eyes. When you spoke, your voice was soft, “I’m nervous for today. I’m also worried about when we go back. It’s easy to feel a certain way in a place like this - nothing’s real. But when we get back, it’s back to normal. And before a few days ago, we barely said two words to each other. It’s just … I’m overwhelmed.”

He nodded, resting his head on your shoulder and gave you a squeeze, “We don’t have to figure everything out now, you know. We’ll deal with when we get back  _ when we get back _ . And being nervous around Max is good, I’d be worried if you weren’t nervous. It’ll keep you on your game. Besides,” he ran his fingers over your bugged ring, “I’ll be closer than you realize. I’ve got your back.” He pressed a kiss to your temple and handed you your earpiece, “Now let’s take this guy down.”

 

***

When you arrived at the factory, Max was waiting outside for you and you were thankful that you and Bucky took two vehicles.

Immediately, he wrapped his arm around your waist effectively pulling you right into his side. “Angie,” he kissed your cheek in greeting.

You swallowed your nerves and smiled, “Thank you for inviting me, Max. I am curious though, what exactly do you do?”

He smiled tightly, “My family is in the business of imports and exports. But I work primarily in design engineering.”

You nodded politely, mind racing. You were sent to discover the family’s involvement with illegal arms and the more you were learning the more it seemed that this was all Max, his family had nothing to do with it.

Entering into the building, you were required to go through security.

After being cleared, you turned to him as he lead you to his office, “Really Max, I hardly think this is necessary. What could I be carrying on me that would make me a threat?” you cocked your brow, looking annoyed.

He chuckled, “What do they say? It’s always the quiet ones to watch out for.”

“In all the time that you’ve known me, do you really consider me a quiet one?”

You followed him into the office and he closed the door behind you. Grabbing your arms and yanking you to him, he held you close. Moving his mouth to your ear, he ground out, “I can’t wait to really make you scream out.” He crashed his lips to yours, kissing you. You heard Bucky growling in your earpiece but you didn’t have time to react because Max was pushing you up against the door.

You placed your hands on his chest, stopping him. Breathing heavily, you let out a little laugh, “Now now, Max. Patience is a virtue.”

He grasped the back of your neck, “Angie, I’m not a patient man.”

As he leaned in to kiss you again, the desk phone rang.  _ Saved by the bell _ .

He pulled back, “I have to take that.”

He turned his back to you and answered the phone, giving you a few minutes to get your head on straight which was difficult since in your ear piece, Bucky was cursing up a storm.

You closed your eyes for a moment and when you opened them, Max had finished his phone call and was staring at you.

“I’ve got to take care of some things on the floor. I’ll give you a tour when I get back. It shouldn’t take me long. And then, we’ll finish what we started.”

You smiled at him, nodding. When he left, you walked around the office, careful to make sure you looked like a nosy person and not an undercover agent. After about fifteen minutes, you left the office. You were planning on doing some investigating and if you were caught, you’d just say that you were looking for Max; after all, he seemed to be buying it.

There were other offices near Max’s but they were empty and the doors open so you moved away. Following the sounds of machinery, you made your way to the back of the factory. You entered into an open space where machines were whirring making pretty, decorative boxes. You figured this is part of the family business and it looked average and clean. You knew you needed to get further back so you took a deep breath and walked through the back doors. You found yourself in a hallway and you followed it to another set of doors. These ones were locked so you pulled out a bobby pin and jimmied the lock.

You pushed open the door and gasped. Here, machines were whirring but they weren’t making pretty boxes. These machines were making warheads. “Found it,” you whispered into you ring.

“Y/N, get out of there before he finds you,” came Bucky’s voice.

Nodding you turned around to return from where you came. You had just about reached the door when you heard Max’s voice, “Angie? What are you doing in here?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Max have it out. You and Bucky are surprised when someone else arrives. You try to mend fences with a former friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it - the final chapter! Thank you to all of you who've stuck with me so far! It means a lot to me. Your comments, kudos, etc. are greatly appreciated! <3

You froze.  _ Fuck _ . Turning around, you saw him coming walking down a flight of stairs from the back. 

You turned and gave him a smile and turned on the charm. You walked towards him, “I was getting lonely waiting for you so I came to find you.” You reached him and waited for him to make a move, praying he was buying it.

He tilted his head and studied you. “Yeah?”

You pouted and nodded, “Uh huh.”

“The door was locked.”

Your blood froze, “No it wasn’t.”

You could hear Bucky swearing in your earpiece but you couldn’t focus on his words; you had to concentrate on Max.

His eyes darkened and glittered in the light. He took a threatening step towards you and you feigned innocence, “Max? What’s wrong?”

“Did you know that I know Tony Stark?” 

“The billionaire philanthropist?” You hoped he couldn’t hear your heart pounding.

“The Avenger. You know, Iron Man? We used to run in the same circles. Until he realized what Stark Industries was actually up to.” He laughed and it made your skin crawl, “Maybe you could pass on my thanks? When he left the arms business, he left it wide open for me to swoop right in and take over.”

You took a small step away, “What do you mean, ‘pass on my thanks’? What are you talking about?”

“Give me a fucking break,” his tone was low and even and you knew he was showing incredible restraint because you could see the vein in his neck pulsing with anger. You almost wished he was yelling at you, he’d be easier to fight if he was out of control. He was calculated and controlled which was scarier.

It wasn’t worth trying to pretend anymore. You only hoped that Bucky would get to you sooner than later. You were a good fighter but Max was much bigger and stronger than you were.

You sighed and he snarled at you, “I’m sorry  _ princess _ , am I bothering you?” He swung at you but you managed to jump back before he landed the punch.

“C’mon Max. It doesn’t have to be like this,” you tried reasoning with him but he was beyond that. 

He was filled with such rage you knew the fight was inevitable. He advanced and you blocked not letting him actually touch you. You were careful not to let yourself be backed into a wall, fighting more defensively but he wasn’t leaving you with much choice. Finally, you swung and landed a solid punch on his jaw. He howled with anger and his fighting became much more aggressive. Screaming obscenities at you, he swore at you and called you names, coming at you hard and fast, he managed to punch you in the stomach, knocking the wind out of you. Before you could recover, he backhanded you, sending you flying.

Now, you were angry. You jumped back up and pounced but he managed to grab your arms and pull you towards him.

“Now what?” he seethed at you, “You gonna be able to fight your way out of this?” He shoved you away and you stumbled, falling to the ground.

Suddenly, the room filled with flashing lights and people poured in. You must’ve blacked out for a few moments because when you looked up, you saw Bucky rushing towards you. Before he reached you, Steve was kneeling in front of you.

Gently, he gripped your chin, “Y/N?”

Your eyes widened, “Steve? What the hell are you doing here?” You were so confused.

He ignored you, gently turning your head so he could see the bruise forming on your cheek from when Max slapped you. He lightly ran his thumb over your cheekbone, “We gotta get some ice on that - “

At that moment, Bucky reached you, “What the fuck is going on here?” he growled out, glowering at Steve.

Steve stood up, “Hey, Buck.”

“Don’t ‘Hey, Buck’, me. Answer the fucking question, Rogers.” At the same time he was snapping at Steve, Bucky sat with you on the ground, pulling you gently into his arms which didn’t go unnoticed by Steve.

His nostrils flared slightly, “I’ll explain everything later at the villa.” He turned to walk away.

“Goddammit Steve!” you shouted at his retreating back.

Bucky squeezed your hand, silently telling you to calm down. You looked at him and sighed, “Where’s Max?”

“Cuffed in the back of a police car.” He took your face in his hands and turned it, hissing when he saw your bruise, “That bastard is lucky these guys got here when they did.”

“Oh?”

He nodded, hands trailing down your neck, “Steve had to pull me off him. But fuck, baby girl, I’m sorry I couldn’t get here faster.”

“Bucky, no, it’s okay. I held my own.”

He looked proud of you, “You really did. But it should never have gotten that far in the first place.”

You tried to stand up and needed help so he jumped up and reached his hands to help pull you up but when he went to wrap his arm around your waist, you hissed in pain. He quickly assessed you and realized that you most likely had a few cracked ribs. If it was even possible, he looked even angrier, “Okay, sweetheart, let’s get you taken care of. Then we’ll get some answers.”

 

***

 

You had two cracked ribs and a bruised cheekbone which wasn’t too bad considering how hard that bastard hit you. With much difficulty, you showered and were lying in bed waiting for Bucky to finish his shower before heading down to meet with Steve.

Bucky came into the bedroom half dressed, and you blatantly ogled him, making him laugh. 

“Nuh uh, baby girl, keep those eyes up here,” he pointed to his face.

You pouted, “Spoilsport.”

He sat next to you and took your hand, “You know what the doctor said. You have to rest and heal. There’ll be plenty of time for other things after you’re better.”

You sighed, “Let’s go get that explanation of what the hell is going on.”

The three of you sat on the outdoor loungers, you and Bucky on one, Steve on the other.

You lit up a cigarette and Bucky followed suit. Steve watched you inhale and exhale and you could see he was itching to ask you so you tossed him your pack of cigarettes.

“Y/N, what - no -” 

Bucky interrupted him, “Save it, Rogers. I know your little secret. Have the damn cigarette.”

Steve had the decency to look embarrassed as he lit it up.

After a few moments of silence, he cleared his throat. “We’ve been watching Max and his businesses for months now, but didn’t realize how involved he actually was.”

“So why send us here?”

“We needed someone to get close to him.”

“Why not tell us? Why keep us out of the loop?” you demanded.

“We were only watching him; we weren’t able to make contact so we needed someone to get in.”

“Why not inform us?”

“It wasn’t necessary. We didn’t need you taking unnecessary risks.”

“Fuck you, Steve.”

He rolled his eyes at you, “C’mon Y/N. You needed to play it safe and be in the role you were assigned. If you knew you were being watched, you would’ve taken more chances, been riskier. I needed to make sure you were safe.”

At that, Bucky bristled, “I thought that’s why I was here.”

Steve looked at him, levelly, “You were. You were also getting too close.”

Bucky stood up, “I gotta echo Y/N’s sentiment, fuck you.”

Chuckling humorlessly, Steve spoke, “Tell me I’m wrong.” When neither of you answered, he continued, “Exactly.”

“Steve, you’re a piece of work. You’ve managed to insult both me and Bucky in one conversation. Kudos.”

“I’m not saying you guys aren’t good agents - “

You cut him off, “That’s exactly what you’re saying. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go get rest. Broken ribs and all.” You got up and walked away.

Bucky sat back down, “What the hell is going on, man?”

Leaning back in his lounge chair, Steve sighed heavily, running his hand over his face, “I fucked up, didn’t it?”

“With Y/N? Yeah, you did.”

He looked at Bucky, “You know I don’t have those kinds of feelings for her, but I miss her.”

“I know but you gotta fix it. Talk to her. Without being an asshole.”

“Are you two…?” he wiggled his eyebrows.

Bucky laughed, “We’re kinda sorta seeing where things go. She’s kinda great though.”

“Yeah, she is. Treat her right.”

“Really? This, from you?” He stood up, “You staying in a hotel?”

Steve nodded, “I’ll let myself out.”

 

***

When Bucky came into the room, you were lying in bed, waiting for him.

“Hey,” he said softly, crawling into the bed, “You know he’s an idiot.”

You laughed, “Yeah, I do.”

“You know he misses you.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Let him fix it. He can be a good friend.”

You sighed, “Yeah, I know.”

Gently, he wrapped his arms around you and pressed a kiss to your hair. You fell asleep with him holding you.

 

***

 

Months later, you and Bucky found yourselves on a flight back to Europe. You were on a well deserved vacation before the next big mission and you both decided to head back to where everything started, down to the original villa.

This time, you were there as yourselves. You enjoyed talking to Marta as Y/N and Bucky. You spent your days on the beach, sunning and swimming, and your nights wrapped up in each other’s arms.

Steve had apologized and really made the effort to be a better friend. Eventually, you forgave him, after all, you were teammates and you were in love with his best friend. Plus, you did miss his friendship, though now, any late night coffee conversations were with Bucky and Bucky only.


End file.
